Well, I think that the leaders of the Sengoku period who killed their former masters, or even their blood relatives, parents, brothers, and sons, in order to win the race to become the head of the country, were all more or less crazy. Even if people in later generations praise the deeds of these heroes who ultimately brought peace, there is no doubt that their hands were stained with the blood of many people.
@@norihiro01 Tokugawa ordered his son to kill himself when his son's wife plotted with Takeda clan, Tokugawa was independent daimyo, but he sacrifice his son for the clan future.
@@TheShogunate That is probably true. There is an old Chinese tale where if a person in power calls a deer a horse, everyone has to follow suit. It may seem funny to the outside, but the people involved are really on the brink of life and death. As you can see from "Takeshi's Castle", his comedy contains a lot of dictatorial elements. If you enjoyed this movie, I would be delighted if you would also watch 「清須会議」(Kiyosu Conference ua-cam.com/video/KGmrFt0caes/v-deo.html ).
The movie gave me the impression that the samurais behaved like same low yakuza. Especially in the dialogues. But I definitely enjoyed the movie. Thanks for the review.
Unfortunately, this comment section is full of wannabee anarchists and people who don't understand Japanese culture, they just want to push a certain message in where they can
And what did you think they really were? Anyone who wields power and wields it in an absolute manner acts, speaks, behaves, and ultimately, ends like a gangster, that is to say as a Yakuza: feared, respected, admired, envied but also badly dead. He who risks the most and calculates the worst dies first, as for those who know how to wait for the right moment or have a particularly acute sense for grasping the opportunity as soon it presents before them, those live longer, rewrite history to their own benefit and die as heroes while their path to glory is paved with blood, murdered and treason.
I saw this film the day it came out in Japan, and again the following day. It's really more of a yakuza film in samurai clothing than anything else, but I'd expect nothing less from Kitano. Definitely worth a watch for fans of bloody irreverent samurai films
In films such as "Rikyu" or "Castle of Owls", Hideyoshi is also depicted as an unpredictable madman, but those films are setled at the end of the century, when Hideyoshi decided to invade Korea and ruin the trade relationships with China. Rikyu is a great film!
Haven't heard of this movie, I'll save this review and find a way to watch it! UPDATE: I've watched it and it is a lot more off the rails compared to other films set in the era (e.x. Floating Castle, Sekigahara). I would not say it follows the usual plotline one would expect but I'm just glad to watch a film set in the Sengoku Jidai. I didn't know it was a comedy and that kind of affected how I see it, still pretty good tho!
Kubi is generally translated as "head". Though it can also refer to neck, I assume it is meant to be "head" considering the focus on head-taking in the movie.
Thanks for putting up the link to it. I loved it even though I had no idea it was a comedy; just seemed like a cool movie that had some jokes in it. I watched it before the review because I needed something cool to watch tonight. When you mentioned that it is suppose to be a comedy I then thought to myself, yeah it really was pretty ridiculous and fun. Thanks again!
We need more movies like this, I wish the movie industry wasn't cut throat and b.s cuz more countries need to reveal their culture in which ever way they decide. The movie is quite the piece, as in I wasn't even sure if I even like it, but there's so much going on there's plenty of intrigue, curiosity, action, laughs, questions, this movie is definitely something to behold. From making me laugh when I was kid with MXR to wanting him producing more and more films like this or beyond
The cast mentioned that there was quite a bit of ad-lib stuff in the filming of this movie. Kitano chose most of these people because he is comfortable working with them and he knows they can deliver the ad-lib stuff that he wants. This movie is very much a parody of historical events, but retaining the darker elements from this time of violence and death.
I have watched it after your recommendation. I guess it is important to warn anybody who consider watching it: - it is a black comedy - for connoisseurs (or should I say, for nerds like us who now Japanese history well). Almost every humor aspects and jokes here are deeply based on Sengoku era features, hardly recognizable by average viewer. But if you are well prepared for it, Kubi may become your favorite comedy movie 😅
I was fortunate to find this movie for free on youtube. Damned good movie! It strips away all the pomp and circumstance revealing the realities of samurai life then
That's a popular story that likely emerged during the Edo period. It may have some truth rooted in reality but as of right now I don't think it is confirmed.
Another notable Sengoku Jidai-centric movie featuring Hashiba Hideyoshi as a central character which happens to be a comedy is “The Kiyosu Conference” in which the Oda Clan’s top vassals decide the future of the Oda Clan after Oda Nobunaga and his heir got whacked. The movie features a cast of notable Japanese actors like Koji Yakusho (13 Assassins), Yo Oizumi (Sanada Maru), Tadanobu Asano (Shogun), Koichi Sato (When the Last Sword is Drawn) and many others.
Sorry this question is unrelated to the video, but I am subscribed to your channel and in a lot of your videos. I see antique artwork depicting samurai battles. Do you have a good place where I could go online to possibly have canvases or prints made?
Ieyasu couldn't catch a break in this movie. There were so many assassination attempts and a lot of them ended up being some random stand in who wasn't Ieyasu. It's a bit tragic but funny.
I have just once watched a Sengoku Era comedy movie, about Sanada Yukimura and his Legendary 10 Braves. The twist here is that actually Yukimura was... a coward who achieved his famous feats at Ueda BY ACCIDENT. He was also older. He was nevertheless a good guy. The film takes place and time at Siege of Osaka, and it was funny. It's the 10 Braves who plan most of Sanadamaru and other battles, but make his boss to take the credit. However, Yukimura got to be the badass he is known for at Summer Campaign, and there one twist with Yodo-dono and another with Hideyori at the end. I like when fiction tend to give twists at history, especially with comedy or fantasy (that's why in part I wrote a novel about history of my country, but with folcloric local legends and even Sanada Yukimura just because I could XD XD ). So, I would like to watch Kubi for the same reason.
I would recommend making a review of Admiral: Roaring currents and Hansan: Rising dragon with Noryang: Deadly sea. They are superb movie trilogy from time Japan invaded Korea.
For some reason the one gag i keep thinking about is how Hideyoshi would delegate his affairs to Hashiba Hidenaga and Kuroda Kanbei. "You know i can't read... Sort it out for me... Commit harakiri" etc. The more i think about this film the more it grows on me, as cursed as it was it was a lowkey genius take on history overall 😁
i just saw it and it was amazing i loved how they didn't hold back on the gore and the humour was peak Mosuke was definitely my favourite character (btw if you want to watch movies/series like Kubi when you aren't able to use stremio or S-flix)
Lol. Gonna go watch it now. Fortunately I saw this vid only 1 hour after you uploaded, so the film is still on UA-cam! I will return after I have seen the movie! Thanks for the heads up.
This was such a good movie you might get morev out of it if you were a kitano cultured fan of you don't enjoy it that ok i get it. If you liked it and aren't a fan just enjoy it its mostly satire.
Just watched it and thanks for the link ; 'a Machiavellian black comedy of double-dealing',although I understand the controversial portrayal of Lord Oba Nobunaga as a malevolent,vindictive oaf ! 👌👍 P.S. on the explicit homosexual references of the samurai/daimyo class noted in this film, Kitano and Asano,also starred in the more intriguing 'Gohatto/Taboo' (1999)
I watched this movie on YT, same as you. Probably same channel, too. The Japanese blu-ray is being released in October, but alas, no English subtitles, just like The Legend and Butterfly movie (but that film is on Amazon with Eng subs), which you should give a watch if you have not yet. This movie was wild like you said, but I did not like how much older Hideyoshi and Ieyasu appeared over Nobubaga. Other than that, though, I enjoyed the dark comedy and the rawness of the portrayal of the time period.
I was wondering how popular this movie was in Japan? Would it be comparable to something like Mel Brooks’s “Blazing Saddles” or was it more like Netflix’s “The Ridiculous 6”?
I was trying to figure that out as well. It earned what looks like a fair amount at the box office but it's hard to compare because I'm not sure what the budget was either.
@@TheShogunate, It is something that I wonder about for years. The western (cowboy/gunfighter) is the American contribution to the story of world history. But, ever since “Blazing Saddles”, westerns are absent from the American entertainment landscape. Yes, there have been westerners since “Blazing Saddlers” but nothing like it was before it. It’s like westerners have become taboo in the culture that created it. Whether that is due to Mel Brooks or not is a question for greater minds than mine. It just appears that the Japanese people are more protective of their cultural heritage than my own. Maybe that is why samurai films make such great westerns. Thank you for answering.
I watched the film today with some friends and I didn't know what to expect since all I went in with is I like Kitano and I like the cast. Yeah it being more comedy than anything was what I leaned more with by the end. That being said, I admit I had some misjudgments during it. My friends enjoyed it tho they knew nothing about Kitano nor much on Japanese history (your average joe knowledge). I just streamed it for them cause movie and I'm the guy that shows them new stuff.
I'm Japanese, living in Japan, I watched this movie in the theater when it was released in 2023. I've been a Kitano movie fan, but I wasn't planning to watch it in theater when I saw the trailer for the first time. However in Japan, there were several versions of trailers released when the movie became available, one of them focused on the violent scenes from the movie. I somehow liked the trailer and got compelled to go to the theater. I was literally entertained into the movie, I realized that I didn't check my watch at all during the play. Samurai movies, I believe, are tended to be produced elegant, traditional or classical, but "Kubi" made a totally different approach as Kitano is a maestro of violence. It is violent, bloody, too realistic in a way that cannot be broadcasted on Japanese TV, but yet holds some comedy aspects as Kitano is a comedian. The Japanese language they speak in the movie is too modern, they are not jidai-geki enough for me. However, the visual stylishness compensate the lack of style in speech. What I mean is it's a good movie, worth watching. 😄
Japanese artists are expected to be odd and idiosyncratic. That would explain Yoko Ono, who is a royal pain in the ass here in America, lol. Takeshi-san is weird in a much better way of course. Any film made by and/or staring a prominent comedian is going to be extra weird. See films of Matsumoto Hitoshi for example. The head scratching that ensues is a sign of success above and beyond applause. I knew The Shogunate would like it.
I'm going to be honest and a little childish here. Saying "male male samurai relationships" and then saying "these are things we've touched on." Gave me a giggle. I thought "touched on? Like Nobunaga and Ranmaru? Yeah. Nobunaga "touched on" this topic quite a bit.""
I really enjoyed the movie (and your review). Actually I would have given it 3 1/2 stars because it fit well together/was funny in parts/had enough historical accuracy. A few points 1. I find the Yasuke samurai argument incredibly stupid. Whether he was technically a samurai seems splitting hairs. He was a military related vassal of Nobunaga. Could he have been a general in the future, definitely not. But so what. 2. One point a lot of western viewers missed (and why Nobunaga and Hideyoshi come off as such total dicks) is that Takeshi publicly has said he wanted this to be the ANTI-Tagia Drama (for those of you who do not know what they are, Taiga Drama are year long (48 episodes) of somebody`s famous life. The show usually whitewashes their bad parts/takes away sexuality/ a lot of hero worship So Takeshi not only wanted the lead (and basically all) characters to be jerks. Also the very frank description of samurai on samurai shagging. And also, the copious blood 3.The funny parts... were very funny
@jeffreysams3348: I used to watch those Taiga Dramas on Channel 26 on Saturday nights in the SF Bay Area way back in the 1980s. Usually on VCR if I went out. I wondered if they were still being made after all of these years. I still remember the scene from the Hideyoshi series in which the mutinous troops loiter around the smoldering and ugly ruins of the temple looking for Nobunaga's remains on the morning after his assassination with their beautiful blue flags fluttering like butterflies in the wind.
@@dpeasehead Yep... This year is about Murasaki Shikibu and Fujiwara no Michinaga. Last year was a disaster about Ieyasu. In 2026 it will be about Hidenaga
It was pretty funny. It did remind me of Takeshi's Outrage trilogy, especially the first film. Takeshi was way too old to portray Hideyoshi, but I forgave it because he was entertaining and he had tried to get this movie made for thirty years. I had seen another UA-camr insinuate that the gay content in this movie was pornographic and...really? There was ONE scene that was maybe frank in its depiction, but hardly explicit. And the "love" story was rather chaste even in comparison to that. There were some narrative and character skip arounds that I guess that the audience was just meant to accept. Like, why is this particular character trying so hard to kill this other one? And why is this character STILL trying to kill this other one after circumstances have changed? Either the audience is meant to already know due to having learned this before or just accept that it is not supposed to be understood. One subplot seemed to be shunted to the margins, then abruptly got its time in the spotlight and then basically forgotten once resolved.
I kind of dislike it... I love dark humor but here it felt weird, Oda was a crazy man for sure but here he was also depicted cowardly and dumb (Like, I get him acting dumb and crazy, historically he can be viewed that way, but coward?!, no so much) other than that, beat takeshi was good but not as he was in the past... I think a different direction and production might have help... I will say, the movie The Legend & Butterfly kind of portrait Oda better, still a crazy individual with a sudden dark humor but serious enough when it matter, hope you can review it too!, that movie is from 2023 and is quite good! (Though I watch it in the "seven seas" since dunno if its on any streaming platform, japan did have an issue licensing this movies).
Thanks, Sabine can be hit and miss. I think it's just because she's putting out too much content and sensationalizing for the $'s rather than any anti trans agenda...
With all those famous actors, I expected storytelling and acting to be something like Ran, The Hidden Fortress, 13 Assassins, or 47 Ronin(1962). Well, I get none of that, not even close. The ending was the worst I have ever seen in any Japanese movie. It makes me go, "WTF!" It is worse than the Shin Kamen Rider. I wasted over two hours of my life watching KUBI. It is a head shaker; I tell you what. I will give 1 star for trying, tho. Wait, did the directory Takeshi Kitano even try?
Why were you comparing it to movies trying to be serious if it wasn't? Also, I agree Shin Kamen Rider was bad. What was worse? Kamen Rider Black Sun. That butchered the original into some political almost sarcastic take or maybe simply, edgelord level.
I was hugely disappointed in the actors chosen for the roles they had, so much so I didn't watch it when it was released on a 'drama cool' website after watching the first 10 minutes. TK is way too old to play Hideoshi. Not a role for him.
You're right, if they made another movie like this, there would be more material to go on. I wonder how they resolve the age thing other than shortening the span of events. I can only guess it would show Ieyasu to be a greater schemer in the end and dynamic Hideyoshi overlooked.
Is that Ranmaru and Yasuke depicted also with Nobunaga? Edit: Okay, it was. Do you think this film was making any statements from a Japanese perspective, like using humor to mask glossed over details or truths not touched on in film commonly? Or was it simply using the unfavorable, crazy and like as fuel for what they wanted to present? Maybe not satire, but be contrarian to what's been done before.
Any movie with Beat Kitano is always good to see. He is a great actor
Well, I think that the leaders of the Sengoku period who killed their former masters, or even their blood relatives, parents, brothers, and sons, in order to win the race to become the head of the country, were all more or less crazy. Even if people in later generations praise the deeds of these heroes who ultimately brought peace, there is no doubt that their hands were stained with the blood of many people.
source?
@@norihiro01 Tokugawa ordered his son to kill himself when his son's wife plotted with Takeda clan, Tokugawa was independent daimyo, but he sacrifice his son for the clan future.
Also for some weird reason all the priests speak spanish, even yasuke when they should be talking portuguese 🙃
This movie made me magnify my belief that Oda Nobunaga was indeed a maniac 😅
Yes, i also didn't expect that before watching it.🥲🥲
This movie sounds like the Japanese version of Death of Stalin and I am fucking here for it.
Honestly pretty much lol
@@TheShogunate That is probably true. There is an old Chinese tale where if a person in power calls a deer a horse, everyone has to follow suit. It may seem funny to the outside, but the people involved are really on the brink of life and death. As you can see from "Takeshi's Castle", his comedy contains a lot of dictatorial elements. If you enjoyed this movie, I would be delighted if you would also watch 「清須会議」(Kiyosu Conference ua-cam.com/video/KGmrFt0caes/v-deo.html ).
There's a ton of full movies on UA-cam unofficially and a shocking number officially in whatever capacity. ❤🎉
The movie gave me the impression that the samurais behaved like same low yakuza. Especially in the dialogues. But I definitely enjoyed the movie. Thanks for the review.
Samurai is like a glorified legal yakuza
Like cops or soldiers nowadays, anyone who has the authority to exercise violence is a glorified gangster.
Unfortunately, this comment section is full of wannabee anarchists and people who don't understand Japanese culture, they just want to push a certain message in where they can
Warlords gonna be warlords, as ever.
And what did you think they really were? Anyone who wields power and wields it in an absolute manner acts, speaks, behaves, and ultimately, ends like a gangster, that is to say as a Yakuza: feared, respected, admired, envied but also badly dead. He who risks the most and calculates the worst dies first, as for those who know how to wait for the right moment or have a particularly acute sense for grasping the opportunity as soon it presents before them, those live longer, rewrite history to their own benefit and die as heroes while their path to glory is paved with blood, murdered and treason.
MY BOY YABUSHIGE IS IN THIS TOOO
I saw this film the day it came out in Japan, and again the following day. It's really more of a yakuza film in samurai clothing than anything else, but I'd expect nothing less from Kitano. Definitely worth a watch for fans of bloody irreverent samurai films
In films such as "Rikyu" or "Castle of Owls", Hideyoshi is also depicted as an unpredictable madman, but those films are setled at the end of the century, when Hideyoshi decided to invade Korea and ruin the trade relationships with China. Rikyu is a great film!
Beat Takeshi was also in Yakuza 6
Didn't know that. Might actually play it, even if it's 8 yr old
Dude, this review is great. Such good work as always i was laughing and learning.
Haven't heard of this movie, I'll save this review and find a way to watch it!
UPDATE: I've watched it and it is a lot more off the rails compared to other films set in the era (e.x. Floating Castle, Sekigahara). I would not say it follows the usual plotline one would expect but I'm just glad to watch a film set in the Sengoku Jidai.
I didn't know it was a comedy and that kind of affected how I see it, still pretty good tho!
Hi Nick, just something else on Kitano, he is also the the director and star of the 2003 remake of Zatoichi.
Kubi is generally translated as "head". Though it can also refer to neck, I assume it is meant to be "head" considering the focus on head-taking in the movie.
I love the art direction! I’ll have to check it out! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for putting up the link to it. I loved it even though I had no idea it was a comedy; just seemed like a cool movie that had some jokes in it. I watched it before the review because I needed something cool to watch tonight. When you mentioned that it is suppose to be a comedy I then thought to myself, yeah it really was pretty ridiculous and fun. Thanks again!
THE MXC DUDE!! Right you are Ken!!
We need more movies like this, I wish the movie industry wasn't cut throat and b.s cuz more countries need to reveal their culture in which ever way they decide. The movie is quite the piece, as in I wasn't even sure if I even like it, but there's so much going on there's plenty of intrigue, curiosity, action, laughs, questions, this movie is definitely something to behold. From making me laugh when I was kid with MXR to wanting him producing more and more films like this or beyond
The cast mentioned that there was quite a bit of ad-lib stuff in the filming of this movie. Kitano chose most of these people because he is comfortable working with them and he knows they can deliver the ad-lib stuff that he wants. This movie is very much a parody of historical events, but retaining the darker elements from this time of violence and death.
I swear Takeshi Kitano is a main character in Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
Make review on the legend and butterfly
just watched it last week, stunning visual and good story
4:52 So Nobunaga in Kubi is literally King Joffrey then
Watched this at the Philadelphia Film Fest two years ago
I have watched it after your recommendation. I guess it is important to warn anybody who consider watching it:
- it is a black comedy
- for connoisseurs (or should I say, for nerds like us who now Japanese history well). Almost every humor aspects and jokes here are deeply based on Sengoku era features, hardly recognizable by average viewer.
But if you are well prepared for it, Kubi may become your favorite comedy movie 😅
I was fortunate to find this movie for free on youtube. Damned good movie! It strips away all the pomp and circumstance revealing the realities of samurai life then
I love how the movie picture how flowed this people is
Takeshi Kitano and Tadanobu Asano .. ZATOICHI 2007
I seem to recall Nobunaga killing individuals that Mitsuhide had promised mercy/clemency - an action that led to Mitsuhide's mother being executed.
That's a popular story that likely emerged during the Edo period. It may have some truth rooted in reality but as of right now I don't think it is confirmed.
Another notable Sengoku Jidai-centric movie featuring Hashiba Hideyoshi as a central character which happens to be a comedy is “The Kiyosu Conference” in which the Oda Clan’s top vassals decide the future of the Oda Clan after Oda Nobunaga and his heir got whacked.
The movie features a cast of notable Japanese actors like Koji Yakusho (13 Assassins), Yo Oizumi (Sanada Maru), Tadanobu Asano (Shogun), Koichi Sato (When the Last Sword is Drawn) and many others.
Koji Yakusho is also in
- Tokugawa Ieyasu
- Sekigahara
- Perfect Days
and many more. He’s such a veteran actor.
I've been planning on checking out that one too
It's quite funny. And Katsuie is hot.
@@nont18411 If you like his large-scale action, I also recommend "Dora-Heita" and "Idaten."
Thanks for the share, hope it is not erased before I watch it!
Sorry this question is unrelated to the video, but I am subscribed to your channel and in a lot of your videos. I see antique artwork depicting samurai battles. Do you have a good place where I could go online to possibly have canvases or prints made?
Brutal , a hard watch
Man, since Kubi is my nickname, i was caught offguard for a second 😂
Ieyasu couldn't catch a break in this movie. There were so many assassination attempts and a lot of them ended up being some random stand in who wasn't Ieyasu. It's a bit tragic but funny.
I have just once watched a Sengoku Era comedy movie, about Sanada Yukimura and his Legendary 10 Braves. The twist here is that actually Yukimura was... a coward who achieved his famous feats at Ueda BY ACCIDENT. He was also older. He was nevertheless a good guy. The film takes place and time at Siege of Osaka, and it was funny. It's the 10 Braves who plan most of Sanadamaru and other battles, but make his boss to take the credit. However, Yukimura got to be the badass he is known for at Summer Campaign, and there one twist with Yodo-dono and another with Hideyori at the end.
I like when fiction tend to give twists at history, especially with comedy or fantasy (that's why in part I wrote a novel about history of my country, but with folcloric local legends and even Sanada Yukimura just because I could XD XD ). So, I would like to watch Kubi for the same reason.
I would recommend making a review of Admiral: Roaring currents and Hansan: Rising dragon with Noryang: Deadly sea. They are superb movie trilogy from time Japan invaded Korea.
I did review Roaring Currents already. I'll be sure to check out Hansan at some point.
@@TheShogunate and recently the same director made Noryang deadly sea.
Wild man of Owari for sure lol. Hope your doing well sir, appreciate the vid
For some reason the one gag i keep thinking about is how Hideyoshi would delegate his affairs to Hashiba Hidenaga and Kuroda Kanbei. "You know i can't read... Sort it out for me... Commit harakiri" etc. The more i think about this film the more it grows on me, as cursed as it was it was a lowkey genius take on history overall 😁
i just saw it and it was amazing i loved how they didn't hold back on the gore and the humour was peak Mosuke was definitely my favourite character (btw if you want to watch movies/series like Kubi when you aren't able to use stremio or S-flix)
Lol. Gonna go watch it now. Fortunately I saw this vid only 1 hour after you uploaded, so the film is still on UA-cam! I will return after I have seen the movie! Thanks for the heads up.
Do you have any other link than that the channel has given? Because that one is age-restricted 🤮
You can torrent it on the Pirate Bay if you want. @@saymyname2417
Can you a comedy movie from 2017 called Honnoji Hotel?
I can catch 'yabu' actor. He must be good in whatever format
This was such a good movie you might get morev out of it if you were a kitano cultured fan of you don't enjoy it that ok i get it. If you liked it and aren't a fan just enjoy it its mostly satire.
More ninja problems. Oh no. One day Nick, one day.
I was wondering if you have seen this one! There is certainly a lot to discuss from the ninja side of things, both good and bad!
Historical detail?
Yes I just see Yasuke & Horoshu cavalry
Just watched it and thanks for the link ; 'a Machiavellian black comedy of double-dealing',although I understand the controversial portrayal of Lord Oba Nobunaga as a malevolent,vindictive oaf ! 👌👍
P.S. on the explicit homosexual references of the samurai/daimyo class noted in this film, Kitano and Asano,also starred in the more intriguing 'Gohatto/Taboo' (1999)
I watched this movie on YT, same as you. Probably same channel, too. The Japanese blu-ray is being released in October, but alas, no English subtitles, just like The Legend and Butterfly movie (but that film is on Amazon with Eng subs), which you should give a watch if you have not yet.
This movie was wild like you said, but I did not like how much older Hideyoshi and Ieyasu appeared over Nobubaga. Other than that, though, I enjoyed the dark comedy and the rawness of the portrayal of the time period.
Is it fair to assume the way you're describing this film, is it like the samurai version of "Death of Stalin"?
This film was no where near the quality level of his earlier work but I thought it was pretty okay.
Could you review the historical fact if it was possible as fast-retreated on barefoot within seven days to the Himeji castle as the film shown?
That would be an interesting topic to examine!
I was wondering how popular this movie was in Japan? Would it be comparable to something like Mel Brooks’s “Blazing Saddles” or was it more like Netflix’s “The Ridiculous 6”?
I was trying to figure that out as well. It earned what looks like a fair amount at the box office but it's hard to compare because I'm not sure what the budget was either.
@@TheShogunate,
It is something that I wonder about for years. The western (cowboy/gunfighter) is the American contribution to the story of world history. But, ever since “Blazing Saddles”, westerns are absent from the American entertainment landscape. Yes, there have been westerners since “Blazing Saddlers” but nothing like it was before it. It’s like westerners have become taboo in the culture that created it. Whether that is due to Mel Brooks or not is a question for greater minds than mine. It just appears that the Japanese people are more protective of their cultural heritage than my own. Maybe that is why samurai films make such great westerns.
Thank you for answering.
Was film 🎥 made by Kadokawa films
I agree with you completely. Great and fun movie if you know where you are. Thank you! ;)
This eega was good for what it was. No subtitles or dubs are better.
I watched the film today with some friends and I didn't know what to expect since all I went in with is I like Kitano and I like the cast. Yeah it being more comedy than anything was what I leaned more with by the end. That being said, I admit I had some misjudgments during it. My friends enjoyed it tho they knew nothing about Kitano nor much on Japanese history (your average joe knowledge). I just streamed it for them cause movie and I'm the guy that shows them new stuff.
I'm Japanese, living in Japan, I watched this movie in the theater when it was released in 2023. I've been a Kitano movie fan, but I wasn't planning to watch it in theater when I saw the trailer for the first time. However in Japan, there were several versions of trailers released when the movie became available, one of them focused on the violent scenes from the movie. I somehow liked the trailer and got compelled to go to the theater. I was literally entertained into the movie, I realized that I didn't check my watch at all during the play.
Samurai movies, I believe, are tended to be produced elegant, traditional or classical, but "Kubi" made a totally different approach as Kitano is a maestro of violence. It is violent, bloody, too realistic in a way that cannot be broadcasted on Japanese TV, but yet holds some comedy aspects as Kitano is a comedian. The Japanese language they speak in the movie is too modern, they are not jidai-geki enough for me. However, the visual stylishness compensate the lack of style in speech.
What I mean is it's a good movie, worth watching. 😄
Japanese artists are expected to be odd and idiosyncratic. That would explain Yoko Ono, who is a royal pain in the ass here in America, lol. Takeshi-san is weird in a much better way of course. Any film made by and/or staring a prominent comedian is going to be extra weird. See films of Matsumoto Hitoshi for example. The head scratching that ensues is a sign of success above and beyond applause. I knew The Shogunate would like it.
I'm going to be honest and a little childish here. Saying "male male samurai relationships" and then saying "these are things we've touched on." Gave me a giggle. I thought "touched on? Like Nobunaga and Ranmaru? Yeah. Nobunaga "touched on" this topic quite a bit.""
Lol I could have certainly worded that more carefully
@@TheShogunate My morning would not be anywhere near as amusing if you did so my friend.
"What t f is this piece of sht" - Joe Pesci
I really enjoyed the movie (and your review). Actually I would have given it 3 1/2 stars because it fit well together/was funny in parts/had enough historical accuracy. A few points
1. I find the Yasuke samurai argument incredibly stupid. Whether he was technically a samurai seems splitting hairs. He was a military related vassal of Nobunaga. Could he have been a general in the future, definitely not. But so what.
2. One point a lot of western viewers missed (and why Nobunaga and Hideyoshi come off as such total dicks) is that Takeshi publicly has said he wanted this to be the ANTI-Tagia Drama (for those of you who do not know what they are, Taiga Drama are year long (48 episodes) of somebody`s famous life. The show usually whitewashes their bad parts/takes away sexuality/ a lot of hero worship
So Takeshi not only wanted the lead (and basically all) characters to be jerks. Also the very frank description of samurai on samurai shagging. And also, the copious blood
3.The funny parts... were very funny
@jeffreysams3348: I used to watch those Taiga Dramas on Channel 26 on Saturday nights in the SF Bay Area way back in the 1980s. Usually on VCR if I went out. I wondered if they were still being made after all of these years. I still remember the scene from the Hideyoshi series in which the mutinous troops loiter around the smoldering and ugly ruins of the temple looking for Nobunaga's remains on the morning after his assassination with their beautiful blue flags fluttering like butterflies in the wind.
@@dpeasehead Yep... This year is about Murasaki Shikibu and Fujiwara no Michinaga. Last year was a disaster about Ieyasu. In 2026 it will be about Hidenaga
@@jeffreysams3348 Thanks! How would I find the channel or channels that have this programming on the west coast of the US?
I'll watch it on sun.
Ieyasu is my favourite athou i lilke nobunaga the most but here it isn't
I like this movie as a movie critic but as a historical movie it isn't great
Why do you choose to call him Hashiba Hideyoshi instead of Toyotomi, does it just sound better to you or is there a reason?
At the point in time where the film take place he had not taken the Toyotomi name yet
It was pretty funny. It did remind me of Takeshi's Outrage trilogy, especially the first film.
Takeshi was way too old to portray Hideyoshi, but I forgave it because he was entertaining and he had tried to get this movie made for thirty years.
I had seen another UA-camr insinuate that the gay content in this movie was pornographic and...really? There was ONE scene that was maybe frank in its depiction, but hardly explicit. And the "love" story was rather chaste even in comparison to that.
There were some narrative and character skip arounds that I guess that the audience was just meant to accept. Like, why is this particular character trying so hard to kill this other one? And why is this character STILL trying to kill this other one after circumstances have changed? Either the audience is meant to already know due to having learned this before or just accept that it is not supposed to be understood. One subplot seemed to be shunted to the margins, then abruptly got its time in the spotlight and then basically forgotten once resolved.
1:22 I'll do you one better, WHY IS KUBI?
I know it is not serious movie. But if Japanese filmmakers can't get the character's age right than who's else?
I kind of dislike it... I love dark humor but here it felt weird, Oda was a crazy man for sure but here he was also depicted cowardly and dumb (Like, I get him acting dumb and crazy, historically he can be viewed that way, but coward?!, no so much) other than that, beat takeshi was good but not as he was in the past...
I think a different direction and production might have help...
I will say, the movie The Legend & Butterfly kind of portrait Oda better, still a crazy individual with a sudden dark humor but serious enough when it matter, hope you can review it too!, that movie is from 2023 and is quite good! (Though I watch it in the "seven seas" since dunno if its on any streaming platform, japan did have an issue licensing this movies).
my only nitpick is that Yasuke and the other foreigners are speaking spanish and not portuguese
Ooh I didn't even realize that
pretty good movie tho, tnx for reviewing it and for the link. i watched it right after your video
I laughed too hard with this movie but after 3/4 I was done with it.
❤❤❤❤❤❤
Thanks, Sabine can be hit and miss. I think it's just because she's putting out too much content and sensationalizing for the $'s rather than any anti trans agenda...
So like an inglorious bastards?
Muito bom
I loved his version of "Zatoichi", as much as the original films .
Disappointed it's a comedy, I'm not really a fan of historical comedies, I much prefer my history serious. I should still give it a watch though
Now I plan on watching Kubi. Thank you
I watched this movie last year. Man, I love Takeshi Kitano, but he often makes the minimum effort in some of his roles. 😂 Bless his heart.
I loved the film!
This movie review is no critique, is a hanging 💩... don't watch it
With all those famous actors, I expected storytelling and acting to be something like Ran, The Hidden Fortress, 13 Assassins, or 47 Ronin(1962). Well, I get none of that, not even close. The ending was the worst I have ever seen in any Japanese movie. It makes me go, "WTF!" It is worse than the Shin Kamen Rider. I wasted over two hours of my life watching KUBI. It is a head shaker; I tell you what. I will give 1 star for trying, tho. Wait, did the directory Takeshi Kitano even try?
Why were you comparing it to movies trying to be serious if it wasn't? Also, I agree Shin Kamen Rider was bad. What was worse? Kamen Rider Black Sun. That butchered the original into some political almost sarcastic take or maybe simply, edgelord level.
It's meant to be a dark comedy, so you went in with the wrong expectations.
I got bored. Oda Nobunags depiction was not believable.
I was hugely disappointed in the actors chosen for the roles they had, so much so I didn't watch it when it was released on a 'drama cool' website after watching the first 10 minutes. TK is way too old to play Hideoshi. Not a role for him.
You're right, if they made another movie like this, there would be more material to go on. I wonder how they resolve the age thing other than shortening the span of events. I can only guess it would show Ieyasu to be a greater schemer in the end and dynamic Hideyoshi overlooked.
Is that Ranmaru and Yasuke depicted also with Nobunaga?
Edit: Okay, it was. Do you think this film was making any statements from a Japanese perspective, like using humor to mask glossed over details or truths not touched on in film commonly? Or was it simply using the unfavorable, crazy and like as fuel for what they wanted to present? Maybe not satire, but be contrarian to what's been done before.
I wouldn't be surprised if that was the intent.